Juul, the largest e-cigarette manufacturing company, has been accused of promoting their products to young children and teenagers online, including websites such as Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and seventeen Magazine.
In a new lawsuit, Massachusetts prosecutors said the e-cigarette company explicitly target adolescents by advertising vaping products online. They said the company promoted mock-up ads of young-looking models who were seen holding Juul devices.
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said, “A Juul customer service rep even told underage customers in Massachusetts how to get around our laws.”
The e-cig company rejected a marketing proposal targeting adults; instead, the company chose a campaign targeting a “cool crowd,” according to the lawsuit.
Juul prompted their vaping products on youth-centric websites, such as Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and seventeen Magazine.
On Wednesday, in a press conference, 19-year-old Emma Tigerman talked about her addiction to e-cigarettes.
She said, “Unfortunately, I will have to consider myself an addict for the rest of my life and that is at the hands of Juul.”
Juul has banned the sale of fruit-flavored vaping products. The company told CBS News, “We have not yet reviewed the complaint, but we working to combat underage use.”
The company also said that their main customer base is “adult smokers.”
Massachusetts’ attorney general is the ninth to sue Juul. E-cigarette manufacturers, including Juul, have a deadline until May 12 to apply to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to continue selling their vaping products and that review will take at least a year.
